The New York Yankees already added a big name before the MLB trade deadline, and they could be poised to add another.
The Yankees made a splash by trading for Baltimore Orioles reliever Zach Britton, adding him to an already stellar bullpen. Now, they reportedly have their eye on a pair of veteran left-handers: Cole Hamels of the Texas Rangers and J.A. Happ of the Toronto Blue Jays.
MLB.com hypothesized the Yankees could have interest in Hamels, citing sources who said New York recently has been evaluating the southpaw. The Yankees probably haven’t liked what they’ve seen lately, though, as Hamels has allowed at least four earned runs in each of his last five starts, posting a 10.23 ERA in those outings.
The New York Post’s Joel Sherman wrote Wednesday night that the Yankees and Milwaukee Brewers currently are the front-runners to land Happ from the Blue Jays. Happ also has been knocked around some recently, allowing 26 runs (21 earned) in his last six starts. However, he has pretty good numbers in his career against the Boston Red Sox (7-4, 2.98 ERA), and he’s also fared well in the past against the Houston Astros (5-2, 3.46).
New York currently trails the Red Sox by 5 1/2 games in the American League East despite being 28 games over .500. The offense has sputtered some this month, but that’s not a long-term concern, nor is the bullpen, especially after the Britton trade.
The Yankees’ biggest issue is the starting rotation, so adding a veteran arm certainly would help.
